Vintage rigged Roulette Wheel
I've recently acquired a late 20's early 30's H.C. Evans "Deluxe" Roulette wheel. It was purchased in Omaha NE. The antique store doesn't know its provenance. I'm currently in the process of restoration. Upon disassembly, I discovered that it was a gaffed wheel.
There are two mechanisms on different locations of the outer wheel that are hidden underneath the laminate. I assume the table had hidden electromagnets that would activate these devices. Small pins pop out to make the ball drop after winning numbers pass dropping the ball in a safe location for the house.
I started my research and was only able to find one wheel that used the same type of pins. There are a lot of articles written about "Al Capones Roulette Wheel." The pin system was very similar. I'm just missing the table.
I'm here for information, Does anyone out there know what I got my hands on? Is this piece extremely rare or is there just a lack of information on the web? I found this wheel in a catalog image. It's hard to read. It's a long shot but I'm hoping to find an old image of a casino or speakeasy that had used this type of wheel. I'm searching for "prominence" The Goddess of Chance is pretty rare. Hopefully, someone will come across this forum and recognize it. Thanks
100 on 33 please.
Can't help with info, but that looks like a pretty cool project. I'd be interested in seeing updates as the renovation goes on (along with whatever info you're able to uncover, of course).
Great thread. I hope it's worth a ton of money for you.
I'll say it's rigged, it's got a 00 on it.
Fascinating. I saw a known gaffed wheel/table for sale that came out of a hotel in Elko, IIRC, but I'm afraid I don't recall any of the details. Very interesting find.
I learned something today. I had the impression that the 00 wheel was a more recent development.
IÂ’ll post pics of the restoration process. Pass this on if you know anyone who any knowledge of prohibition gambling. I would love to find a historian that knows about these gaffed games. Thanks!
Perhaps you could contact TwoRooks to see if he still has his home casino operating.
Legit lolled!
OP, I assume you've seen these videos already, but just in case you haven't: Warning, annoying music in the first one
You might consider contacting these guys. Their website is included in the video description.
https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/54/po...
"My Home Casino" epic thread from 2005 by the famous tworooks
I’ve tried contacting the Games Room. Direct quote “they don’t work on roulette tables any more.” They said they weren’t interested in talking with me. Maybe they get to many responses from those videos.
This might narrow down the search. I came from H.C. Evans' 1929 catalog. It was the highest-priced roulette table they made. In 1929 our dollar was worth $17.59. It sold for $375 so that's $6,569 today. Maybe it wasn't in a speakeasy but a higher-end classier joint? Does anyone know a historian who specializes in the prohibition gambling era?
IÂ’ll post pics of the restoration process. Pass this on if you know anyone who any knowledge of prohibition gambling. I would love to find a historian that knows about these gaffed games. Thanks!
I think all the historians that knew about the rigged games are now wearing cement shoes.
Refurb is looking really good though.
Yeah, those are some cool pics of the process, Rigged. Thank you.
Just wanted to say that this is a great find and looks like a great project.
More process pics.
I'm also curious about how this wheel is rigged. Or maybe it's how the gamblers would take advantage of the rigging.
What I think you're saying is that the mechanism you showed early on appears to be a kind of electronic "brake" on the wheel?
1) Wouldn't the wheel then stop suddenly, enough that players would notice?
2) Am I correct to think the wheel's not rigged like the clip I showed from Casablanca, but more that "the wheel stops in a predictable place, so the ball should end up in a certain 'sector' of the wheel"?
P.S. not related, but fans of the old Car Talk radio show may remember the episode about electronic brakes and subsequent letter from Andy.
Go back up to the video posted from Garick. It’s identical to that wheel except I’m missing the table and the wheel I have is the more expensive version from H.C. Evan’s offered during that time. When the balls rolling, the pin pops out when you push a button. It knocks the ball off the track so it lands in a safe zone for the house.
https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/54/po...
"My Home Casino" epic thread from 2005 by the famous tworooks
Can you also find the Lathe in the Livingroom thread?
I’ve tried contacting the Games Room. Direct quote “they don’t work on roulette tables any more.” They said they weren’t interested in talking with me. Maybe they get to many responses from those videos.
Sorry to hear that. I bet they get a lot of rigtards sure that licensed casinos are doing the same thing.
I'm also curious about how this wheel is rigged. Or maybe it's how the gamblers would take advantage of the rigging.
What I think you're saying is that the mechanism you showed early on appears to be a kind of electronic "brake" on the wheel?
The cover in the video below rigs the ball to an exact number. That seems like it would get caught very quickly.
This one more just helps you avoid a number that someone bet heavily on. You don't get an exact result, you just get a ball drop that is far from the bet that could break the bank. I assume it took a lot of practice to disrupt the ball at the right time to have it continue moving relatively naturally but into a safe sector. Within that sector, it will still bounce around a bit
The wheel I was referencing above had a brake, though how that produced a desired result is unclear to me. I presume that like the pin, it is really just enough to break the ball away from the track and start it falling prematurely and thus into a safe area.
Double ought odds even back then?
